14 Edward Thomas Demby, 1957, and Henry Beard Delany, 1928, Bishops
15 Damien, Priest and Leper, 1889, and Marianne, Religious, 1918, of Molokai  was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
16 Mary (Molly) Brant (Konwatsijayenni), Witness to the Faith among the Mohawks, 1796
17
18
19 Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Martyr, 1012 was an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester, later Archbishop of Canterbury. He became an anchorite before being elected abbot of Bath Abbey. His perceived piety and sanctity led to his promotion to the episcopate, and eventually, to his becoming archbishop.



FIRST READING: Matthew 21: 1 - 11 (all)

Matt 21:1 (NRSV) When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Beth'phage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, "The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately." 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 "Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
h/t Montreal Anglican

It is “two days” ( 26:2) before the combined festivals of Passover (commemorating the time in Egypt when the plague which killed firstborn boys passed over, skipped, Jewish homes) and that of Unleavened Bread (remembering the freeing of the Israelites from Egypt). In this particular year, Passover begins on a Thursday evening. Many pilgrims have come to Jerusalem for the celebrations. A woman has anointed Jesus for burial – a rite usually performed after death – but there will be no time then. The religious authorities (“chief priests and the elders”, 26:3) have “conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him” ( 26:4) Having him killed during the “festival” ( 26:5) might cause a popular uprising (“riot”). Their intention was probably to wait until the pilgrims had left the city, but “Judas Iscariot” ( 26:14) gives them a way of killing him before the festival. That he is “one of the twelve” makes his betrayal especially horrifying. They pay him, in advance, “thirty pieces of silver” ( 26:15, about 4 months wages) – and so fulfils Zechariah 11:12. This is a turning point in Jesus’ life; his “time is near” ( 26:18); his passion is a milestone in God’s plan of salvation. Space is scarce in the city, so Jesus sends his disciples to reserve a room.

In 26:17a, Matthew may be speaking of the Roman “day” rather than the Jewish. (The Roman day started at midnight, but the Jewish at sundown.) He implies that the Last Supper was at the time of the Passover meal, but John places it on the evening before. I agree with those scholars who say that the Supper was not a Passover meal. The disciples speak of Jesus as “The Teacher” ( 26:18), so possibly the house owner is a follower of Jesus. Matthew does not tell us how the disciples are to identify “a certain man”, but Mark does.

Jesus and his disciples gather in a guest room, furnished with rugs, cushions and perhaps a low table. Jesus knows in advance of Judas’ plot ( 26:21). Each disciple denies involvement to another ( 26:22). The treachery is enormous ( 26:23): the traitor is a member of the community. Jesus knows who it is: “the one who has dipped ... into the [common] bowl” ( 26:23) with him. (This verse may allude to Psalm 41:9: “Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted the heel against me”. It is surprising that, if this is a Passover meal, the contents of the bowl are not mentioned; elsewhere, Matthew is keen to show Jesus as an observant Jew.) The Old Testament does not mention the Son of Man suffering, so 26:24 is probably an imposition of the Son of Man on the Servant Songs of Isaiah. Jesus, “the Son of Man”, is willing to submit to God’s plan, but Judas will be condemned at the Last Day. In 26:25, Judas expects a negative answer, but Jesus’ reply is half--affirmative ; “You have said so” was a common form of assent in Palestine.

26:26-29 describe the institution of the Lord’s Supper. (The name is from 1 Corinthians 11:20.) The meal has begun with a preliminary course (“while they were eating”, 26:21). The “loaf of bread” ( 26:26) was likely a flat cake of leavened bread. Jews to this day bless the bread and break it, but Jesus says something special: “this is my body.” That his body is to be broken (and “poured”, 26:28) may indicate that he expects to be stoned. (Crucifixion did not necessarily involve breaking bones.) The traditional prayer of “thanks” ( 26:27, Greek: eucharistesas) over the cup is Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the world, who has created the fruit of the vine. “All” (including Judas) drink from the cup. The wine is “my blood of the covenant” ( 26:28): recall Exodus 24:8, spoken by Moses when the Sinai covenant was ratified: “See the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you ...” The new relationship between God and humankind is “for many”, not just for the eleven. 26:29 speaks of the past (Jesus has shared meals with many) and of the future, when he will drink the wine “new”, afresh: it points to the heavenly banquet at the end of time, the coming of the Kingdom of God.

As they walk to the “Mount of Olives” ( 26:30), outside the east wall of the city, Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7: a prediction of his death and the temporary desertion of his disciples. All deny that they will leave him: they are willing to die for him ( 26:35); Peter insists that he will remain loyal ( 26:33). Jesus predicts that he will “deny” ( 26:34) him three times (see 26:69-75). In 26:32, Jesus speaks of his post--resurrection appearances (cf. Mark 14:27-31): he will lead them again. “Gethsemane” ( 26:36, meaning olive oil press) is a small garden on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. Jesus takes with him “Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” ( 26:37, James and John), the three disciples who have seen his glory in the Transfiguration; now they see his distress and weakness. Even though he knows what is to happen to him, he is apprehensive: a thoroughly human reaction to a great impending event. He asks the three to “stay awake” ( 26:38), to remain alert, to be with him in this difficult time. In 26:39-40, he struggles (humanly) with his destiny. In a supreme gesture of supplication to the Father, he throws himself on the ground and prays that, if it be the Father’s will, he may avoid the coming ordeal by simply dying. His prayer is a very personal one to “my” Father: you can do anything: remove this cup of suffering . (In 20:22, he asks James and John: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?”.) But dying on the cross is in God’s plan, and Jesus is obedient to it. Finding Peter asleep, he exhorts him to pray that he not be faced with a struggle between God and the devil (“the time of trial”, 26:41). Jesus prays a “second time” ( 26:42): if it is your will that I suffer death, may your will be done. In 26:46, Jesus announces that the next step in God’s plan will now happen: “my betrayer is at hand”. Helped by prayer, Jesus can now face his enemies.

The “large crowd” ( 26:47), a mob, which includes the high priest’s slave ( 26:51), has been stirred up by the religious authorities. The crowd would not know Jesus by sight, so Judas has “given ... [the authorities] a sign” ( 26:48): a kiss was the traditional greeting of friendship to a teacher; Judas perverts it. He calls Jesus “Rabbi” ( 26:49), my master, a form of address used to honour teachers of the Law. Cutting off the slave’s “ear” ( 26:51) – or part of it, as the Greek implies – is an act of revenge for the indignity done to Jesus. Jesus’ preference is for non--violence; God’s power is greater than any force of arms ( 26:53). Then he adds: aren’t all of these events he is enduring foretold in the Old Testament as being part of God’s plan? 26:55 suggests that he taught in the Temple more than is recorded in the gospels. As Jesus predicted in 26:31, a quotation from “the scriptures” ( 26:56), the eleven (“all”) flee.

In 26:57-68, Matthew conflates (combines) the preliminary hearing before a committee of the “high priest” and the meeting of the whole Sanhedrin (“chief priests ... scribes”), but in 27:1 the Sanhedrin “conferred together”. (Luke says there were two meetings: one of the committee and one of the Sanhedrin.) Peter follows the procession “at a distance” ( 26:58) to the “courtyard” of the high priests’ house to hear the outcome of the meeting. Per Deuteronomy 19:15, for a charge to be valid, at least two witnesses had to bring the same “testimony” ( 26:59); witnesses were questioned separately. Jesus never (to our knowledge) said that he was “able to destroy the temple of God” ( 26:61), but he did say that it would be destroyed. Had he said that he would destroy it, he would have been guilty of blasphemy (against the Temple). The high priest puts him under legal “oath” ( 26:63) in the hope that he will say that he will destroy it – thus giving the authorities grounds for a charge. In a kangaroo court, would you answer? (Note Isaiah 53:7: “He was oppressed, and ... yet he did not open his mouth”.) So the chief priests ask him: do you have royal pretensions? (“Son of God”, 26:63, is another title for the Messiah: see 16:16.) Jesus now answers: the time has come to make his claim clear to the people. Yes, I am the Messiah, but not in the way you understand the title: he does not plan a revolt against the state. He tells of his messiahship in terms that Jews will understand ( 26:64) (“Power”, 26:64, is a Jewish way of referring to God.) Jesus asserts that he is the Son of Man insofar that he is transcendent, will be enthroned in heaven, and will judge. Jesus is found guilty of blasphemy, although his offence does not properly fit the definition of the crime in Leviticus 24:10-23. Jesus is sentenced as deserving death, for which the penalty should be stoning (but at the time the Sanhedrin may have lacked the power to give the death penalty.) The high priest was required to tear “his clothes” ( 26:65) in a case of blasphemy. Some mock him ( 26:67): the Messiah was expected to be a prophet ( 26:68). ( 26:67 fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 50:4-6, part of today’s Old Testament reading.) As Mark tells us, Jesus was blindfolded at this point; hence the question “Who is it that struck you?” The Jewish authorities now have a charge they can bring to the Romans.

26:69-75 present Peter’s faithlessness in contrast to Jesus’ faith. Peter denies association with Jesus three times before the cock crows, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction of 26:34. The first denial is in private ( 26:70), the second ( 26:72) and third ( 26:74) in public. (Peter’s dialect, his “accent”, 26:73, shows him to be Galilean.) The Sanhedrin, the supreme court, (“all the chief priests and the elders of the people”, 27:1) meet formally to decide on Jesus’ fate. Matthew implies the complicity of the Jewish authorities (“They bound him ...”, 27:2). “Pilate” was Prefect of Judea 26-36 AD.

We now hear the story of Judas' death. Matthew implies that he “saw” ( 27:3) Jesus condemned. Judas repents (changes his mind) and returns the money to the religious authorities. They deny any involvement in the plot; the offence, they say, is on Judas’ head alone. Judas now sees Jesus’ death as undeserved (“innocent blood”, 27:4). Having lost his moral bearings, he commits suicide ( 27:5). Perhaps it is because of Deuteronomy 23:18 (which forbids ill--gotten gains being used for sacred purposes) that the “chief priests” ( 27:6) consider returning the money to the temple treasury to be unlawful. Their scrupulosity now contrasts with their plot against Jesus! The “potter’s field” ( 27:7) was known, by Matthew’s time, as the “Field of Blood” ( 27:8). He attributes its name to its being bought with “blood money” ( 27:6). He is keen to show the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies ( 27:9-10). We now return to the story of Jesus.

In 27:11, Pilate says to Jesus: You the King of the Jews? You don’t look like a revolutionary! Some have attempted to connect him with those seeking a political messiah. Jesus’ answer amounts to: Yes, but not the way you mean it. Matthew portrays the Jewish authorities as instrumental in raising charges ( 27:12); he minimizes Pilate’s guilt. Again Jesus does not answer. Pilate is “amazed” ( 27:14) because a simple peasant would protest innocence, and a revolutionary would deliver a political manifesto: Jesus does neither. (Outside the Bible, Pilate is described as cruel and obstinate; Matthew shows him differently.) Pilate’s verdict is not mentioned, but it must have been treason to warrant crucifixion: Jesus’ claims sound like a threat to Caesar’s authority.

The custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover (“the festival”, 27:15) is unknown outside the Bible, but such amnesties did occur at some Roman festivals. (In 27:16, “they” must be the Romans.) Matthew does not tell us Barabbas’ crimes, but Mark implies that he is a revolutionary and probably a murderer; it is his fate, not Jesus’, that has attracted the “crowd” ( 27:15). Note the contrast between “Jesus Barabbas” ( 27:16, meaning son of the father) and Jesus Son of the Father. For Pilate, it would be politically wise to release Jesus, not Barabbas ( 27:17). He gives the Jewish leaders and people the choice.

While Pilate sits in judgement (“judgement seat”, 27:19), his wife urges him to release Jesus – based on a dream she has had about him. This pause in the proceedings gives the Jewish authorities time to stir up the crowd ( 27:20). They demand Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate sees no guilt in Jesus ( 27:14), but he takes the politically expedient path, to avoid a riot ( 27:24). In symbolic gesture and word, Pilate pleads before God that he is innocent ( 27:24). (Washing hands is a Jewish custom, not a Roman one.) He has Jesus flogged with a leather whip containing pieces of bone or metal. At either Herod’s palace or the Fortress Antonia, a detachment of soldiers (“the whole cohort”, 27:27) mock Jesus: they dress him in a soldier’s cloak, put a crown on his head and a sceptre (“reed”, 27:29) in his hand, and salute him. (The “thorns” available would not twist easily so the crown was probably radial, as on the Statute of Liberty, not round; wearing it was not torture.) They hail Jesus as they did the Emperor ( Hail, Caesar), ironically proclaiming his true identity.

“Cyrene” ( 27:32) was in North Africa, near Bengazi. That “Simon” is named probably indicates that he became a Christian. The custom was for a criminal to carry the crossbar, but Jesus was already too weak to carry it himself. (Flogging was usually at the place of crucifixion.) “Golgotha” ( 27:33), a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word for skull, was a small stone hill near an abandoned quarry. Jesus refuses “wine ... mixed with gall” ( 27:34), a sedative; he prefers to remain conscious. Matthew’s description of the crucifixion is just two words in Greek ( 27:35). The executioners divide the victim’s clothes among them by lot – to avoid a dispute over who gets the best – but this verse also fulfills Psalm 22:18. A placard placed around Jesus’ neck states his crime: they are from 27:2: his claim of messiahship has been twisted into a conviction for treason. Perhaps the “two bandits” ( 27:38) are revolutionaries. Three groups mock him: (a) passers--by, who scorn him (“shaking their heads”, 27:39, a Middle Eastern gesture) and repeat the first charge made before the Sanhedrin ( 26:61), (b) the religious authorities, who say: If you are the Messiah, work a miracle: save yourself ( 27:42), and (c) those crucified with him ( 27:44). Crucifixion was a very cruel form of execution; death from suffocation came slowly, often after several days, and resulted from the trauma caused by flogging, thirst, hunger, exhaustion, and exposure. The victim’s arms being stretched back, breathing was difficult. While he had the strength, he periodically lifted himself with his legs to take a breath.

Matthew does not explain the “darkness” ( 27:45). Jesus’ cry is the first verse of Psalm 22, in Aramaic. This psalm, as a whole, tells of a righteous sufferer who, despite his travails, comes to trust in God. Jesus feel abandoned but not in despair, for his prayer is to the Father. Perhaps “some” ( 27:47) misunderstand Jesus’ words because they are spoken in pain, leading them to believe that he is “calling for Elijah”. (Based on Malachi 4:5, Jews expected Elijah to return at the end of the age.). The gift of “sour wine” ( 27:48, what a soldier carried) is an act of kindness, but others are curious: maybe Elijah will save him. Jesus dies suddenly, violently, probably in pain ( 27:50). The “curtain of the temple” ( 27:51) hung before the Holy of Holies; only the high priest passed through it. 1:10 tells of the tearing open of heaven at Jesus’ baptism. In ancient cosmology, a giant pudding bowl separated earth from heaven: a barrier between God and humanity. So both the ritual and cosmological barriers are torn open – as a result of Jesus’ death; it is an act of God, symbolizing the arrival of open access of humankind to God. (See Isaiah 64:1) The point of 27:52-53 seems to be that Jesus’ death brings life. The earthquake cracks the rock, opening the tombs and bringing “saints”, honoured dead of Jewish tradition, to new life. But perhaps 27:53 is a correction: they actually rose “after his resurrection”. The words of the “centurion” ( 27:54), a Gentile and member of the hated Roman army, may show only that he recognizes Jesus as a benefactor of humankind, but they are much more significant for us. Jesus dies in only about six hours, probably because he had been flogged severely. Women are very much followers of Jesus, from the earliest days ( 27:55-56). They are faithful even now – unlike the eleven.

Jesus dies at about 3 p.m. ( 27:46) on Friday, the day before the Sabbath ( 27:62). Because the Jewish day begins at sundown, and no work can be done on the Sabbath, there are only a few hours in which to bury his body. Deuteronomy 21:22 stipulates that the corpse of one convicted of a capital crime be buried on the day of his death, so an effort must be made to bury Jesus before sundown. So “Joseph” ( 27:57) of “Arimathea”, a man of means, immediately asks the Roman authorities to release Jesus’ body. Matthew brings out the dignity and grandeur of the burial, but it is likely that Mark’s account is more accurate. Here the burial shroud is a “clean linen cloth” ( 27:59), the tomb is “new” ( 27:60) and the stone door is “great”. Joseph lays the body in a tomb presumably intended for himself. He rolls a disk--shaped rock “to [against] the door”; “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” ( 27:61) witness this action. (A body was normally washed and then anointed with oil before burial, but in Jesus’ case, there was no time to do this.)

27:62-66 prepare for the resurrection. The religious authorities wish to ensure that the faithful do not steal Jesus’ body and falsely claim that he has risen from the dead. A false rumour of resurrection (“the last deception”) would be worse than the “first” (Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah). The tomb is “made secure” ( 27:64, 66) and is guarded by soldiers.

Parallels in chapters of John other than 18 and 19 are theological, rather than narrative.

26:2: “Passover”: See Exodus 12:18-27 and Deuteronomy 16:5-8 for its origins.

Comments: In this particular year, Passover begins on a Thursday evening : As we (and the Romans) reckon the day. For Jews, Friday begins at sundown. Because the start of Passover is linked to the phases of the moon, it could fall on any day of the week.

26:6: “the house of Simon the leper”: Jesus is anointed in a ritually impure setting. [ JBC]

26:7: To afford a “very costly ointment”, the woman is one of means.

26:15: “thirty pieces of silver”: In Exodus 21:32, “thirty shekels of silver” is decreed as the payment an owner must make if his “ox gores a male or female slave”. [ JBC]

26:16: “from that moment”: We are told of other turning points, 4:17 (“From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’”) and 16:21 (“ From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised”).

Comments: Space is scarce in the city, so Jesus sends his disciples to reserve a room: Jerusalem’s normal population was about 30,000. During Passover, it swelled to about 100,000.

26:18: “My time is near”: In the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus wakes up the disciples, he says “the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners”. See also John 7:6; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1. [ NOAB]

26:20: “took his place”: NJBC translates the Greek as reclined.

26:20: “with the twelve”: At a Seder meal, women and children were also present. [ NJBC]

26:24: See also Psalm 41:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Acts 17:2-3; Matthew 18:7. [ NOAB]

26:27: Some Jewish meals included a prayer over the cup and several such prayers might be offered during a meal.

26:28: This verse relates the eucharistic rite to Jesus’ impending death on the cross, as being of atoning, saving, significance: see Exodus 24:6-8 and Jeremiah 31:31-34. His blood is a mediating reality in the new relationship between God and humans. See also Hebrews 9:20; Matthew 20:28; Mark 1:4. [ NJBC] [ NOAB]

26:29: See also Luke 14:15; 22:18, 30; Revelation 19:9. For the messianic banquet at the end of time, see Isaiah 25:6. [ NOAB]

26:29: “when I drink it new ...”: The next milestone after his death and resurrection will be his second coming. There is an echo of the Emmanuel prophecy in 1:23. See also 18:20; 28:20. [ NJBC]

26:30: “the hymn”: Probably Psalms 115-118. [ NOAB]

26:30: “the Mount of Olives”: 2 Samuel 15:30-31 tells of David’s flight there: “... David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot; and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went”.

26:31-35: Jesus makes three predictions:
Prediction made in:     Referred to again in:     Fulfilled in:
v. 31         26:56
v. 32    

28:7, 10
    28:16-20
v. 34         26:69-75 [ NJBC]

26:31: In John 16:32, Jesus says “The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me”.

26:34: “before the cock crows”: i.e. before dawn, although cocks sometimes crow in the middle of the night! [ NOAB]

26:35: All the disciples flee in 26:56. [ NJBC]

26:37: “the two sons of Zebedee”: In 20:20-21, their mother asks a favour of Jesus. [ NJBC]

26:38: “I am deeply grieved”: Greek: My soul is ... Jesus’s words echo Psalms 42:6, 11; 43:5. See also John 12:27; Hebrews 5:7-8. [ NJBC] [ NOAB]

26:39: See Ezekiel 23:31-34; John 18:11; Matthew 20:22. [ NOAB]

26:39: “this cup”: A metaphor for that which is allotted by God, whether blessing (see Psalms 16:5 and 116:13) or judgement (see Isaiah 5:17 and Lamentations 4:21). Here it is Jesus’ suffering and death: see 20:22; 26:27-28 and Mark 10:38. [ NJBC]

26:41: See also 6:13 (the Lord’s Prayer) and Luke 11:4. [ NOAB]

26:41: “spirit ... flesh”: These correspond to the two tendencies of good and evil in rabbinic psychology. [ NJBC]

26:42: See also John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38. Jesus’ prayer is modelled on 6:10 (the Lord’s Prayer). [ NOAB]

26:45: “the hour”: Of destiny, truth and supreme trial.

As with the temptation in the wilderness ( 4:1-11), the whole scene can be read as a commentary on the command to love God with all one’s heart (i.e. will, 26:39), soul ( 26:38) and strength ( 26:42).

26:47: Note the omission of the scribes from the list of villains, but see 26:57 and 27:41. By omitting the Pharisees from these chapters, Matthew appears to exonerate the Pharisees. [ NJBC]

26:49: “Greetings, Rabbi!”: A further token of false heartedness. [ NJBC]

26:50: “Friend”: The Greek word is slightly formal – and is ironical. Jesus also uses this form of address in 22:12. The synoptic gospels do not report Judas’ movements in this night but John gives some information: see John 13:30 (“... after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night”) and 18:3 (“... Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons”). [ NJBC]

26:51: John 18:10 says “Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus”. Luke tells us that the ear was healed. [ NOAB]

26:52: Genesis 9:6 says: “Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person's blood be shed; for in his own image God made humankind.”. See also Revelation 13:10. [ NOAB]

Comments: Jesus’ preference is for non--violence: In 5:39, Jesus says: “Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also”.

26:55: Luke 19:47 tells us “Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him”. The “high priest” questions “Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching” in John 18:19-21. [ NOAB]

26:56: “the scriptures of the prophets ...”: To Matthew, the scriptures are prophetic. Events happen according to divine plan. [ NJBC]

26:57-75: The historicity of the healing before the Sanhedrin is disputed. There probably was such a hearing, but it was not a full trial and may have involved Romans in planning it.

26:57: “Caiaphas”: Of the synoptic gospels, only Matthew identifies the high priest. Caiaphas was high priest 18-36 AD. John 18:13 tells us that “Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year”. The Sanhedrin was made up of 70 priests, scribes and elders . See also John 11:47. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]

26:60-61: For the requirement for two witnesses, see also Numbers 35:30.

26:61: “destroy the temple of God”: See 24:2; 27:40; Mark 13:2; 14:58; John 2:19; Acts 6:14. [ NOAB]

26:63: See also 27:11 (Jesus is questioned by Pilate) and John 18:33. [ NJBC]

26:63: “I put you under oath”: NJBC offers I adjure you.

26:64: “From now on ...”: This is a conflation of parts of Daniel 7:13 and Psalm 110:1. [ NOAB]

26:64: “the Son of Man”: In 16:28, Jesus predicts that “... there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. [ NOAB]

26:65: “tore his clothes”: Numbers 14:6 tells us that “Joshua ... and Caleb ..., among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes”. When Paul and Barnabas are mistaken for gods, they tear their clothes in grief (or frustration): see Acts 14:14. [ NOAB]

26:66: “He deserves death”: Leviticus 24:16 prescribes that “One who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death”. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]

26:67: “they spat ...”: It appears that they is members of the Sanhedrin, but see Luke 22:63.

Comments: Peter’s dialect, his “accent”, shows him to be Galilean: See also Acts 2:7 (the Day of Pentecost).

27:1: “When morning came”: This can be taken as an indication that the Sanhedrin met late into the night. Jewish law required that the Sanhedrin only take formal action by daylight.

27:3-10: These verses are only in Matthew. They are probably here to explain how the “potter’s field” (v. 7) came to be known as “the Field of Blood” (v. 8). It appears to be based on local oral traditions; it shares with the version in Acts 1:18 that Judas suffered a violent death and that there was a connection between his death and the Field of Blood; however Acts records a different form of death: Judas fell headlong and burst open. [ NJBC]

27:5: Suicides are rare in the Bible. Some are recorded in 1 Samuel 31:4-5 (Saul falls on his sword); 2 Samuel 17:23 (Ahithophel hangs himself); 1 Kings 16:18 (Zimri burns himself to death). [ NJBC]

27:9-10: The quotation is actually a complex use of Zechariah 11:12, 13 (note the NRSV footnote re the potter); Exodus 9:12; Jeremiah 32:6-15 (especially v. 7); 18:2; 19:1-2; 7:30-34. [ NJBC]

27:11-14: Matthew introduces the Roman trial in a formal, judicial way.

27:11: The high priest has asked: Are you the Messiah? in 26:63. Now Pilate asks as a Gentile: “Are you the King of the Jews?” – but see 27:17 and 27:22 where Pilate refers to Jesus as the Messiah when speaking to the Jewish crowd. [ NJBC]

27:11: “You say so”: Meaning: you have answered your own question. I could say yes clearly, but if I did you would understand king in a way I do not intend. [ NJBC]

27:13: Matthew does not tell us the charges.

27:15: “the governor was accustomed”: In Mark, it appears that it was Pilate’s practice – not a custom.

27:18: “jealousy”: NJBC translates the Greek word as envy. The unworthiness of their motive leads Matthew to the next verse.

27:19: Dreams in Matthew furnish divine guidance: being “innocent”, Jesus should be released. See also Luke 23:4. [ NOAB]

27:20: “persuaded the crowds”: For the first time, the crowds are implicated in the miscarriage of justice. [ NJBC]

27:21: See also Acts 3:13-14 (Peter’s speech in Solomon’s Portico). [ NOAB]

27:23: “Let him be crucified!”: The first of three calls for the death penalty.

27:24: “washed his hands”: For this Jewish rite of declaring innocence, see Deuteronomy 21:6-9 and Psalms 26:6; 73:13. [ NJBC]

27:24: “see to it yourselves”: As the members of the Sanhedrin say to Judas in 27:4. [ NJBC]

27:25: See also Acts 5:28 (the apostles before the Sanhedrin) and Joshua 2:19. [ NOAB]

27:25: “the people as a whole”: i.e. the priests, lay leaders and crowd.

27:25: “His blood be on us”: See also 2 Samuel 1:16; Jeremiah 26:15; 51:35; 1 Kings 2:33. [ NJBC]

27:26: “he handed him over to be crucified”: Pilate is responsible in spite of his declaration of innocence in v. 24. [ NJBC]

27:27: “the whole cohort”: At full strength, about 500 men. [ NJBC]

27:28-31: The mocking of Jesus is a gesture of momentary moral chaos with affinities to the Roman Saturnalia festival and to the mock king occasions going back to ancient Babylonia. Jesus has already been mocked (apparently by the Sanhedrin) in 26:67-68. [ NJBC]

27:28: “They stripped him”: Jesus has already been stripped for the flogging. [ NJBC]

27:32-33: The procession included Jesus, two other prisoners, a centurion and a few soldiers. In John 19:17, Jesus carries his own cross (but John’s purpose may be theological rather than narrative.) [ NOAB] [ NJBC]

27:34: There are illusions here to Psalm 69:21: “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink”. [ NJBC]

27:35: “they divided his clothes”: A Roman custom. The clothes would be a head--dress, cloak or outer garment, belt, shoes, and tunic or inner garment. See also John 19:23. [ NOAB]

27:37: “King of the Jews”: The Romans recognized the ruling Herod family, so it seems implied that Jesus was a pretender and revolutionary. [ NOAB]

27:39: “shaking their heads”: See Psalms 22:7-8; 109:25; Lamentations 2:15. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]

27:40: See also 26:21 (Jesus foretells his betrayal); Acts 6:14 (Stephen’s speech); John 2:19 (Jesus says “‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’”).

27:41: “the chief priests ...”: A full list of those responsible. Note the omission of the Pharisees.

27:42: “King of Israel”: Rather than of the “Jews” (v. 37), so of the religious community, not the state. For Christians, Jesus is saviour for enduring the cross – not for avoiding it. [ NJBC]

27:45: “darkness”: See also Genesis 1:2; Exodus 10:22; Amos 8:9. [ NJBC]

27:46: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani”: Quoted from Psalm 22:1. Sebaq is Aramaic for leave, abandon. [ NJBC]

27:48: See Psalm 69:21. [ NJBC]

27:51a: See also Hebrews 9:8; 10:19-20; Exodus 26:31-35; Matthew 28:2. In the new era, the Temple will not be a building. [ NOAB]

27:51b-53: For similar cosmic portents, see 2:2. The Old Testament background is found in Joel 2:10; Ezekiel 37:12; Isaiah 26:19; Nahum 1:5-6; Daniel 12:2. There is hope beyond the grave. [ NJBC]

27:55: The presence of the women shows the power of love. [ NJBC]

27:56: “James”: Possibly the James of 10:3, Luke 24:10 and Acts 1:13. [ NOAB]

27:57: “rich”: To afford a tomb, one needed to be rich. [ NJBC]

27:57: “a disciple of Jesus”: In Mark, he is a member of the Sanhedrin. The bodies of those executed were normally denied burial. [ NJBC]

27:60: “rolled a great stone”: The circular stone door rolled in a track. Recent excavations show that the tomb was in an abandoned quarry. [ NJBC]

27:61: The women are present as witnesses to the correct site, not only as mourners. Because women could not be legal witnesses, this verse has historical veracity. [ NJBC]

27:62: “The next day”: i.e. the Sabbath.

27:63: See 16:21 (“... Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised”); 17:23; 20:19. See also 12:40; 26:61; 27:40. [ NJBC]

27:65: “You have a guard of soldiers”: As translated, this is permission to use the temple police (who were under the authority of the Sanhedrin). Another translation is Take a guard, i.e. Pilate grants them a squad of Roman soldiers. [ NOAB]

27:66: “sealing the stone”: There may be an allusion here to Daniel in the lion’s den: see Daniel 6:17. [ NJBC]

PSALM 118: 1 - 2, 19 - 29   (RCL)

Psal 118:1 (NRSV) O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD!
O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God,
and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.


118   Confitemini Domino   (ECUSA BCP)

1      Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
     his mercy endures for ever.

2      Let Israel now proclaim, *
     his mercy endures for ever.
  
19  Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
 I will enter them;
 I will offer thanks to the Lord.

20  "This is the gate of the Lord; *
 he who is righteous may enter."

21  I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
 and have become my salvation.

22  The same stone which the builders rejected *
 has become the chief cornerstone.

23  This is the Lord's doing, *
 and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24  On this day the Lord has acted; *
 we will rejoice and be glad in it.
 
25  Hosanna, Lord, hosanna! *
 Lord, send us now success.

26  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *
 we bless you from the house of the Lord.

27  God is the Lord; he has shined upon us; *
 form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.

28  "You are my God, and I will thank you; *
 you are my God, and I will exalt you."

29  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; *
 his mercy endures for ever.

Note: no Psalm is assigned in the Roman Catholic Lectionary